In the early 1940's, asbestos was an inexpensive material which was used in virtually every industrial plant across the nation because of its superior capabilities of noise reduction, insulating and fire retardant qualities. Asbestos was used in cement asbestos pipe, plaster, wiring, pipe insulation, sound absorbing tiles, floor tiles and sprayed on ceiling structural steel and deck pans.
Asbestos has been found to be a health hazard and asbestos removal or abatement programs are being conducted to remove these health hazards. Many regulations have been adopted and are in place to ensure the safety of those workers who are removing the asbestos as well as to ensure that the asbestos being removed will not be introduced into the surrounding atmosphere. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,111 describes a fairly common system which is employed in an asbestos removal project. In most projects, an enclosure is created around the space in which the asbestos is to be removed. The space is sealed by means of plastic sheets or the like. An air inlet is provided for the enclosed space to permit air to be drawn thereinto. A filtration unit such as the Model MT-3 of Micro-Trap, Inc. of Maple Shade, N.J. or the Model ST2000 of Global Consumer Services, Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. is employed with each of the units having an air inlet and an air outlet. The air outlet of the filtration unit is placed in communication with the area outside of the enclosed space. A blower means is provided in the filtration unit so that the contaminated air in the enclosed space will be drawn through the filtration unit with the asbestos fibers being collected in the filtration unit. The filtration units are sometimes referred to as negative air systems so that air is drawn through the air inlet formed in the wall means and through the filtration unit.
In a majority of the situations where asbestos is being removed from an enclosed contaminated area, a decontamination facility is immediately adjacent the contaminated area so that a person exiting from the contaminated area will pass into an equipment room where the contaminated clothing is removed. The worker will then go into the shower room, shower and will then don clean clothing and will exit via the clean room. However, in some situations, it is not possible to provide the decontamination facility immediately adjacent the location where the abatement action is being conducted. For example, asbestos is sometimes removed from stairwells or the like and it is not possible to provide a shower room or the like immediately adjacent the stairwell. The present procedure is for the worker to be vacuumed prior to leaving the stairwell and then proceed directly to a decontamination facility or a shower. As the worker moves from the contaminated area to the decontamination facility, it is quite possible that asbestos fibers will fall from the contaminated clothing into the air through which the worker is passing.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an apparatus for transporting a person from a contaminated area to a decontamination facility.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a mobile enclosure means which may be used to transport the contaminated person from the contaminated area to a decontamination facility with a minimum of asbestos fibers being passed into the area between the contaminated area and a decontamination facility.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for transporting a person from a contaminated area to a decontamination facility including side and upper doors.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which includes an air inlet having a filter means provided thereon to prevent the escape of contaminated material from the interior of the enclosure.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.